Secondary battery



(No Model.)

E. T. STARR.

SECONDARY BATTERY.

NVENTOS a' JOM 'Il I mmuhwm n 1 A n f l l Patented Au I m w @E N Firms, Plwwrumogmpner. f/nmgmnv D. c.

ELI T. STARB,F PHILADELPHIA, PEITNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE STARR ELECTRIC S'lOlA PANY, OF CAMDEN, NEV JERSEY.

COM-

SECONDARY BATTERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent' No` 347,258, dated August l0, 1886.

Application filed May QG, ISES.

To @ZZ whom 1725 may concern,.-

Beit known that l, E'Li T. STARR, of the city and county of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Secondary Batteries, of which thciollowing is a specification.

My invention relates more particularly to secondary batteries-that is, to batteries which are charged or put into condition for generat- Io ing electric currents bythe action of a current of electricity caused to flow through them, the work of thecharging-current being recovered by connecting the electrodes of the battery by an electric conductor including suitable apparatus.

My invention belongs more particularly to secondary batteries which depend for their action on the oxidation and reduction of lead.

The object of my said invention is to provide a comparatively light and cheap battery which is capable of being rapidly manufactured, and possesses increased electrical etliciency and durability, among other desirable practical advaiitages.

rlhe subject-matter claimed is hereinafter particularly pointed ont at the close ofthe specification.

Some of my improvements may bc used without the others and with batteries differ- O ing from 'that herein particularly described.

ln theaccompanying drawings lhave shown my improvements as embodied in the best way now known to me.

ln said drawings, Figure l is avcrtical section through a battery embodying my improvcxncnts on the line fw '1r of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a partial plan and section thereof with the lid of the battery-vessel thrown back, the section being taken on the line a' fr of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the battery on the line y y of Fig. 2. Fig. is aperspectivc view of two electrodes constituting one ofthe elements of the battery. Fig. 5 is a view of the clement shown in Figl, one electrode being in end elevation andthe other in section. y

The battery-vessel is a compound one. The outer box, A, receives a series of vessels, B, which may bc of wood, glass, or othersuitable Serial No. 96,305. (No model.)

material. The sides or partitions l) of said 5o inner boxes, B, prel'erabl y project beyond the cnds b of said boxesashortdistanee, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. Then the inner boxes, B, are made of wood, they are preferably prepared in well-known ways-as by soaking them in parafiiue, for instance, so as to free them as much as practicable from the action of the usual dilute sulphurie acid, C. constituting the clcctrolytic iluid ol the battery in this example.

Between the inner vessels, B, and the outer or main vessel, A, there is alining, D, ol" preferably substantially acid-proof substancesuch as roofing-cement or coal-tar-which may be put into a fluid form, to completely flow around and envelop the bottoni and ends of the inner series of boxes, as well as the outer sides ot' the end boxes, and then i set7 or become hard, to constitute a solid impervious protective lining. It will be noticed that the 7o partitions or sides Z1, other than the end ones, are common to two cells. Instead oi" this construction, however, the series of in nei` vessels,

B, may be independent cells of glass, for example, and be slightly separated irom cach other, so that the lining D may surround not only the ends and bottom ol'all the i n ner vessels, but the sides also. This is an obvious change, and it is advantageous. in sonic instances,

as better insulation of the cells is al'orded, to while if the cells or vessels be made ol" glass or other fragile material they may thus be isolated and prevented,in a great measure, from breaking. lt will be noticed that the lining D will securely seal all the joints in the inner S5 series ofboxes, B, when made ol'separatepieces or in sections, as in Figs. l, 2, and 3, and this is more especially d ue to the fact that the partitions or sides l are extended beyond the ends of the boxes, as bel'orc described. By 9o this extension of the partitions l), also, a more secure hold of the lining l) upc. the inner boxes, B, is attained.

The above organization ol` the compound box all'ords a very desirable one l'or trough- 95 battery. The outer or main bott, A, is provided willi suitable handles, E E, preferably at its ends, for convenience ol` handling and lss `and 5.

transportation, while its top is covered by a preferably hinged lid or cover, A', between which 'and the-upper edge of the box A a rubber or other suitable packing, a, is secured, to seal the outer box fluid-tight when the cover is fastened down, as for transportation, or when the battery is designed for use on moving vehicles or vessels, foi-instance, where it will be subjected to sudden jolts or jerks.

The electrodes, of which Iprefer there shall be two in each cell B, are each preferably made up of a metal shelllor casing, F, cast or otherwise formed, and having its sides perforated with numerous holes, f, and, in addition, on its inner sides or faces provided withprojections or pointsf. Ifthe shell or casing F is made up of sheet metal, with its joints solderedvor otherwise secured, I prefer to forni the holes in the sides of the casing by a pointed punch or series of punches, so that in addition to forming theholes or perforations in the sides of thcshell there will also bc formed a series of points or projections, f', as clearly shown in Fig. 5.

The two electrodes making up one of the elements are preferably bound together with a space between them, and this I prefer to accomplish by means of insulating strips or bals G-such as wood or hard-rubber strips-one at each end, the electrodes being bound together and upon thc strips G by stout rubber bands encircling the electrodes, or by means of insulating rivets or pins H, or by other suitable fastenings, as clearly shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5.

The'shells or casings F are preferably made of lead, and constitute chambers or receptacles for finely-divided active material or material to be made active, I, such as finely-divided lead, lead peroxide, ininium, or other suitable material.' I preferably employ metallic leadcut into veryfne strips or threads, packed lightly together, so as to be thoroughly porous.

The element, made up, as above described, of two perforated electrodes bound together, is placed in its cell and separated from the bottom-while resting upon it by means of the knobs or heads f/ at the lower ends of thefscparating-strips G, as clearly shown in Figs. 4 This prevents short-circuiting of the electrodes at the bottom by the collection or accumulation of'sedimcntin the bottom of the cell.

Instead of utilizing the lower ends of the separating-strips G as a meansv of insulating the electrodes from the bottom of the cell, each electrode at its bottom may. be provided near its opposite ends with an insulating projecting knob or pin, g', as shown in Figs. and 3.

By the perforations in the sides of the electrodes free access to the finely-divided material is given to the electrolytic iiuid, and the chemical action upon which the battery depends for its action and eiiiciency thus goes on without material obstruction, the nely- `divided material I being the chief active agent.

Instead of making the conducting connection with the shell or casing F direct, I may pass a strip or band, fZ-say of lead-down into the active mass or mass to be made active near one end of the electrode, and then bend it,at about a right angle, to electrically connect itv with a binding screw or post, J, at the upper edge ofthe cell, as in Figs.l l and 3. Said binding-post, however, may bc mounted upon a separate frame, K, fittedin the outer vessel above the innerboxes, as shown in Fig. 2, and the connections made by passing the strip f2 through said frame, as shown in said figure.

rIhe several cells of the battery may be connected up in an obvious manner, either for `quantity or intensity. In theprescnt example the connections are shown as made for intensity. The battery I have shown consists of what may be called a trough-battery of eight elements, and this-number I have found to be very advantageous for many practical uses. Any number of cells may be employed, of

course.

It will be noticed that the binding-screws J, for connecting up the elements, are located within the outer vessel, and this is desirable, in that it avoids the use of external bindingposts and permits the lid to be shut down tight without inconvenientobstructions. The end plates or electrodes of the series of elements are connected with the external binding screws or posts, L L, at opposite ends of the outer vessel, to facilitate connections with the charging andworking circuits.

In the drawings I have shown the casings or shells F as perforated on both sides with numerous holes. In practice, however,I have found it sometimes desirable to have only one side perforated-to wit, the sides of the electrodes facing each otherand the opposite sides coated or painted with a protective varnish or cement. Thus one side only of the electrode is exposed for the chemical action which takes place in the battery.

I reserve the right hereafter to file an application or applications for any and all patentable features or subject-matter of my invention disclosed or substantially indicated herein, but not specifically claimed or covered by the following claims.

I claim herein as my inventionl. The battery-vessel consisting of the external vessel, the series of internal cells or vessels, and the lining between said interior vessels and said exterior vessel, the tops of saidinternal vessels being below the top edge of the outer vessel, substantially as described, whereby room is afforded inside the outer vessel for the binding-connections.

2. The compound battery-vessel consisting of the external vessel, the internal vessels, or cells below the top of said external vessel,and

IOO

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the lining between said interior vessels and said exterior Vessel, in combination with a separate open frame tted in said outer vessel above the inner vessels and carrying the bind ing-connections, substantially as described.

3. A secondary battery the opposing plates or electrodes of which are bound together independently of the batteryvessel, substantially as described7 and have their opposing faces separated from Contact by lneans of a non-conducting` strip or strips interposed between them, and said strip or strips being eX- tended below said plates or electrodes to insulate them from the bottoni of the batterycell While resting;` thereon, substantially as described.

4. A secondary battery the opposing plates or electrodes of which are bound together by clamping devices upon, and have their opposing faces separated by, an interposed nonconducting;` separator which extends below said plates or electrodes and insnlates the same from the bottoni of the battery-vessel, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto snb- 2 5 scribed niy name this 25th day of May, A. D. 1883.

EL T. STARR.

Titnessesz WVM. J. PEY'roN, EUGENE V. BROWN. 

